ODNR Division of Soil and Water Resources - Irrigation Page

Lake Erie Irrigation Water Management

irrigation images collage The efficient and wise use of our freshwater resources is becoming more and more important at the national, regional and local level.  Ohio is a water rich state with an adequate amount of precipitation in most years to meet the demands for drinking water, industrial and food processing, crop production and recreation.  How Ohioans use and care for this precious and limited resource (especially in times of short supply) is increasingly coming under scrutiny.

 

Agriculture

Agriculture occupies approximately 70% of the land use in the Lake Erie basin and has a significant impact on the area's water quality.  Although agriculture's widespread and noteworthy adoption of conservation tillage has reduced specific nonpoint source pollutants such as phosphorus, significant opportunities for improvement remain.  Intensive agricultural practices, (e.g. larger fields, fewer types of crops, bigger equipment, concentrated livestock, and extensive drainage), particularly west of the Huron River, continue to alter streams and wetlands and contribute sediment and nutrients to coastal waters.